The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-09-24
The Sunday Sehonl.
LESSON FOR OCTOBER 2. 1887.
BY REV. ROBERT T. POLK.
THE CENTURION'S FAITH.
Matthew viii. 5-13.]
MIRACLES.

teaching of JESUS respecting the Law and
the Prophets" which he came to accomplish
or fulfill, with group of miracles or mar
yelous works of knowledge and power, which
were wrought during his Galilean ministry as
signs of his Divine authority and mission
viii. ix.) These are apparently given to
show that he not only taught but did as one
having original and divine authority. They
were presented among the proofs that JESUS
was the Messiah of the Hebrew religion.
They are grouped by Matthew without any
particular regard to the chronological order,
but in such a way as to promote the special
design of his historical argument. By COM
parison with the accounts of Mark and Luke
it appears that they did not occur In the
order in which they are arranged. Several OF
them evidently occurred before his teaching
on the mountain, "when he went about IN
all Galilee preaching the Gospel OF the king
dom, and healing all manner of diseases "
10, 23). The curing of Peters mother-in-
law (viii. 14), the leper (viii. 14) and the par
alytic (ix. 2-8), belong to this period of his
ministry. Our Lesson is the account OF the
Centurion's faith who appealed to JESUS to
cure valued servant, after he had returned
to his home in Capernaum from his ministry
in the mountain. Anciently, religious teach
ers practiced the art of healing. In this re-
spect JESUS conformed to the usual custom.
His cures were as marvellous as his teachings.
The miracles of JESUS manifested his Di-
vine knowledge and power and accredited
him as "a teacher sent from GoD." "No
man can do these signs that thou doest ex-
cept COP be with him." said Nicodemus
(John iii. p. Such signs were looked for
and given, to attest the Divine authority of
a prophet or teacher, among the Hebrews.
Marvellous manifestations of feeling were
among the prophetic results of the Messiah
and his times (Isaiah xxxv. 81. When John,
having heard in prison of the works of JE-
sUs, sent to inquire if he was the Messiah,
JESUS answered, "Go and relate to John
what you have seen and heard" He ap-
pealed to his works of healing and mercy as
evidence of his Messiahship. These were the
credentials from the Court of Heaven accred-
iting his mission and authorizing his heav-
emily reign. By his works that no man could
do, nor even discover the means by which
they were accomplished, he proved himself
to be COPS Son. The explanation which
JESUS gave of his marvellous works, was that
they we're wrought of COP to testify of him
John v. Sc; xiv. 10). They transcended the
power of man and even the laws of nature,
though they may not have violated or super
seeded them. Through his Divine endow-
ment, JESUS was able to control and direct
the laws of nature, both physical and spirit
ual in a manner to accomplish his purposes
and promote his mission, as man in much
less degree, because of his limited powers,
is also able to do. His Works we're the pro-
ducts of Divine potUers and the signs of his
Divine mission and Messianic character.
They were more than miracles (surprises,
wonders), they were evidences of Divine
presence and power, and testified of him who
wrought them. The people saw, and not
only marvelled, but believed. We have not
seen any of these signs, but greater things
than these have we seen, as he promised, and
do believe and teach that JESUS is the Christ,
the Son and Sent of COP to be the Saviour
of the World. The early disciples saw the
miracles of JESUS and believed that he was
and spiritual power of Christianity and read
the records of its history and that of its Di-
vine author, and belieue the miracles by
which he was accredited to the world.
The miracles are no longer the best evil
dences of Christianity. Nay, Christianity is
itself the best evidence of the miracles.
fThe first century possessed the lesser
works which attended its advent among man
- 10 1.&r.
sessed the signet-ring of the Most High,
and impressed its seal on nature and on man
as his credentials. The faith of the people
in JESUS rested not in the purity of his life
and doctrines which they did not appreciate,
but on the miracles, wonders and signs
which COP did by him." Acts ii. 22). They
who could not understand how this man
should forgive sin, could understand that
"the blind receive their sight, the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and
the dead are raised up" Matt. XII. B. REV.
Lyman Abbott, "JEsUs of Nazareth"
A miracle is miracle, and we see no pos
sible advantage in trying to understand the
means by which it is wrought. In accepting
the evidence for it, we are ayowedly accept
ing the evidence for something which trans
cends, though it by no means necessarily su-
persedes, the laws by which Nature works.
And this being so, would say that if we
once understood that the word Nature has
little or no meaning unless it be made to IN
Glade the name of its author; If we once real
ize the fact, which all science teaches US, thai
the very simplest and most elementary oper
alton of the laws of Nature is infinitely be-
yond the comprehension of our most exalted
intelligence; If we once believe that the Di
vine Providence of Con is no far off abstrac
ton, but a living and loving care over the
lives of men; lastly, if we once believe that
CHRIST was the only begotten Son of GOD
the Word of GoD, who came to reveal ano
declare His Father to mankind, then there il
nothing in any Gospel miracle to shock ouI
faith; we shall regard the miracles of CHRIST
as resulting from the fact of His Being ano
His mission no less naturally and inevitably
than the rays of light stream outward from
the sun. They were to use the favorite ex
pres sion of st. John, not merely ''portents y
(terata), or powers (dunamesis), or signs
(seDeiG), but they were works (ergd). The
ordinary and the inevitable works (whenevel
he chose to exercise them) of One whose being
was the highest miracle of all.-Fdrrar, 'Th'
Life of Christ"
At the threshold of CHRIsT's miraculous
works, it is well to realize fact so easily
overlooked. miracle is only an exercise, il
new way, of the Almighty power we SCI
daily producing perhaps the same results il
Nature.
works of CHRIST than in the daily phenom-
ena of Nature.
Miracles are only the momentary interca
lation of unsupported laws which startle b.
their novelty, but are no more miraculous
than the most common incident of the grea
mystery of Nature.-Dr c. Geihie Life anC
Words of CHRIST"
Miracle is not contrary to Nature, but rise
simply above the sphere of mere materia
forces. And it ia untrue and unphilosophil
to regard it as an interference by GoD witt
his universal laws, much less viola ion o.